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The US has urged Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curb the actions of “extremist” settlers in the West Bank following increasing reports of violence against Palestinians.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” stated, “Well, we believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu does have a responsibility to rein in the extremist settlers on the West Bank who are, as President Biden put it a few days ago, pouring fuel on the fire.”

Video of Bilal Yousef, who was shot in the chest and killed while harvesting the olive trees in Al-Sawiya, S. Nablus, West Bank

This call for restraint comes in the wake of heightened settler violence against Palestinians after Hamas initiated a deadly attack on Israel in early October. Reports indicate that the violence has led to the death of at least seven Palestinians due to settler activities since the conflict’s commencement. Just this past weekend, a Palestinian man engaged in olive harvesting near Nablus in the West Bank was killed by a settler.

Image of Bilal Yousef, who was shot in the chest and killed while harvesting the olive trees in Al-Sawiya, S. Nablus, West Bank

President Biden publicly voiced his concerns over these actions, stating at a recent news conference, “It has to stop. They have to be held accountable. It has to stop now.” The ongoing conflict has seen significant casualties on both sides, with the Associated Press detailing over 100 Palestinian deaths in the West Bank, predominantly during Israeli military operations and violent protests. Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry has reported significant casualties in Gaza, with a majority being women and children, since the onset of Israeli military actions earlier this month.